Light output dipped to a degree when watching 3D programs, and there were also slight color shifts, but the set's picture presets in that mode provided adequate enough controls to compensate. (There is no THX preset for watching 3D content, although the Cinema preset that substitutes for it displays similar characteristics.) The TV's color decoding was reasonably accurate in Custom mode; in THX, it displayed a -10% dip for red and -2.5% for green and blue. Gamma at the default 2.2 setting measured as 2.1.

Overscan - the amount of picture area hidden behind the edges of the screen - was 0% for high-definition signals with Full/HD Size 2 selected and 4% in Full/HD Size 1. The TV displayed 1080i- and 720p format high-def as well as standard-def test patterns at full resolution via both its HDMI and component-video inputs, although 480i-format standard-def signals looked soft via a component-video connection. With its blur-reduction setting active, a full 1,200 lines was visible on motion-resolution tests, as opposed to around 750 lines with blur reduction switched off. 

Screen uniformity and viewing angle was excellent - par for the course with most plasma TVs. Video processing was good: The Panasonic passed most of the tests on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs that I use to evaluate deinterlacing/scaling performance, although it failed the HQV disc's Film Resolution test when the 3:2 option was set to Auto. (It easily passed with the 3:2 option set to On, however.). Another exception was the assorted cadence sequence on the HQV DVD, where the TV tripped up on the 2:2 pulldown test. The set's various noise-reduction settings all worked well to remove noise without eliminating picture detail.